Sequoia Field-Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics
Why it's listed
Sequoia Field and the Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics form a 78-acre district roughly nine miles north of Visalia, California. During World War II a civilian company ran the school to give Army pilots their primary flight training, while the neighboring field supplied hangars, runways and a control tower. Thirteen cadet barracks were arranged in four triangular groupings around an X-shaped grass parade ground with a central flagpole, a layout that survives today. Barracks are single-story wood-frame buildings with stucco walls, built in 1941. Between six and eight thousand pilots trained here and later served in every major theater of the war. One graduate, Captain Darrell R. Lindsey, received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. After the war the school became a county home for the aged and later housed sheriff and probation facilities, with interiors altered but the original plan kept. The airfield became a county airport.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its role in World War II Army Air Forces primary flight training, in which civilian-run schools prepared pilots for combat. Six to eight thousand Army pilots learned to fly here, including a Medal of Honor recipient. The distinctive layout of barracks around an X-shaped parade ground has been largely preserved.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001591, listed June 9, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Near jct. of Ave. 368 and Road 112, 9 mi. N of Visalia, Visalia |
|---|---|
| County | Tulare County |
| Listed | June 9, 2000 |
| Reference number | 99001591 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & Early 20th Century American Movements; No Style |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Former school grounds are now used by the Tulare County Sheriff's and Probation Departments, including an adult correction center; the airfield became a county general aviation airport, and part of the runway area is farmed. |
| Acreage | 78 |
| Coordinates | 36.44585, -119.32216 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001591.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.